Chapter 3 The King's Arrival
965 Words
The howl still echoed through my mind as I hurried back to the village.
Every shadow between the trees seemed alive, and every snapping twig made me jump. The Moon Goddess's voice lingered in my thoughts.
"When the King finds you..."
What did it mean?
Surely it couldn't mean the Lycan King.
The stories said he never left his kingdom unless it was for war.
By the time I reached our cottage, the celebration had ended. Most of the villagers had gone home, but a few warriors stood guard along the entrance to the pack.
Father opened the door before I could knock.
"There you are."
His relief was obvious.
"I was worried."
"I'm sorry."
He looked closely at my tear-stained face but didn't ask questions.
Instead, he simply wrapped me in a warm embrace.
For the first time that day, I felt safe.
The next morning, I woke to the sound of alarm bells.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
I bolted upright.
Outside, people were running through the streets.
"Everyone to the gate!"
"Warriors, take your positions!"
"The Lycans are here!"
My heart stopped.
I rushed outside.
Ethan was already fastening his sword to his belt.
"Luna, stay inside."
"What's happening?"
He swallowed.
"The Lycan King has crossed our border."
The blood drained from my face.
"He... he's here?"
Father stepped out behind us.
"No one expected this."
Mother clutched my arm.
"Don't leave the house."
Before I could answer, another horn echoed through the village.
The Alpha had summoned every member of the pack.
The village square was overflowing.
Warriors formed defensive lines while frightened children hid behind their parents.
At the front stood Alpha Cedric, wearing polished armor and a grim expression.
Beyond the wooden gates...
An army waited.
Hundreds of black-armored Lycan soldiers sat atop massive wolves.
Each warrior carried silver weapons that gleamed beneath the morning sun.
At their center stood one man.
Even from a distance, his presence demanded attention.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Dressed in black armor etched with silver runes.
A long dark cloak flowed behind him.
His black hair stirred in the breeze.
Golden eyes scanned the village with calm authority.
No crown rested upon his head.
He didn't need one.
Everyone knew exactly who he was.
King Kael Draven.
The Lycan King.
Silence settled over the village.
Even the birds had stopped singing.
Alpha Cedric stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Majesty."
Kael acknowledged him with a slight nod.
"You rule this pack?"
"I do."
"I'm searching for someone."
The Alpha frowned.
"My kingdom welcomes all peaceful visitors. Whom do you seek?"
Kael's gaze drifted across the crowd.
Every woman lowered her eyes.
Every unmated wolf held her breath.
Then he spoke.
"My mate."
Gasps spread through the villagers.
A nervous laugh escaped one of the elders.
"Surely Your Majesty is mistaken."
Kael's expression remained unreadable.
"I am never mistaken."
Hidden behind the crowd, I watched from between Ethan and Father.
I couldn't explain why, but my heart was racing.
Not from fear.
From something else.
Something strange.
As Kael's eyes swept across the villagers...
They paused.
On me.
Everything else disappeared.
The voices.
The wind.
The crowd.
Only his eyes remained.
Golden.
Ancient.
Piercing.
A sharp pain exploded in my chest.
I gasped.
My hand flew to my heart.
At the same moment, Kael stiffened.
His wolf surged beneath his skin.
I could feel it.
Though I had never shifted...
I could feel his wolf.
His gaze never left mine.
One whispered word escaped his lips.
"Mate."
The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet.
The crowd noticed.
Confused murmurs broke out.
"The King is looking at Luna."
"No..."
"It can't be."
Alpha Cedric stepped between us.
"Your Majesty..."
He forced a smile.
"There must be some misunderstanding."
Kael slowly dismounted.
Each step toward the gate was calm and deliberate.
The Lycan warriors behind him remained perfectly still.
No one dared move.
He stopped only a few feet from Alpha Cedric.
"There is no misunderstanding."
His deep voice carried effortlessly across the square.
"The woman standing behind you..."
"...belongs beside me."
Cedric's face darkened.
"She's wolfless."
Kael said nothing.
"She's never shifted."
Still nothing.
"She's cursed."
Kael's eyes turned icy.
"You dare insult my mate?"
The temperature seemed to drop.
An invisible pressure filled the air.
Several warriors fell to one knee.
Even Alpha Cedric struggled to remain standing.
I had never witnessed power like this.
Kael hadn't raised his voice.
He hadn't drawn his weapon.
Yet everyone could feel his strength.
Father stepped protectively in front of me.
"Your Majesty..."
His voice trembled.
"Luna is our daughter."
Kael looked at Rowan.
"I have no wish to harm your family."
His tone softened ever so slightly.
"But the Moon Goddess has spoken."
He turned to me.
"Luna."
Hearing my name on his lips sent another strange warmth through my body.
"You are my fated mate."
"I..."
I couldn't find the words.
This had to be impossible.
I had no wolf.
No mate.
No future.
How could the Lycan King...
...choose me?
"I don't understand."
A flicker of something almost gentle crossed his face.
"You will."
Before anyone could speak again, a piercing scream echoed from the edge of the village.
Everyone turned.
A scout stumbled through the gate, covered in blood.
He collapsed to his knees.
"They're coming!"
"Who?" Alpha Cedric demanded.
The scout looked up with terror in his eyes.
"Rogue wolves..."
"There are hundreds of them!"
The ground began to shake.
Distant howls rolled across the valley.
Kael's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword.
His golden eyes hardened.
"This wasn't an accident."
Somewhere beyond the tree line, hidden among the forest's shadows, a pair of crimson eyes watched the village.
A cruel smile spread across the stranger's face.
"So..."
"The prophecy has finally begun."
- Writer
